August is World Breastfeeding Month!
Happy World Breastfeeding Month!
Honestly - breastfeeding and formula feeding aren’t the same experience for new moms. Feeding your baby in any form is incredible, but growing milk with your own body (pumping, tube feeding or nursing)? That’s next level.
Breastfeeding means your baby relies on you: your time, energy, body, nutrition and calories. It means chugging water, eating enough calories, and still pushing through mastitis, clogged ducts, soaked shirts, and the anxiety of nursing in public.
Some moms pump or nurse until it hurts. Some nurse through tongue ties, latch issues, and total exhaustion. Some wake every 90 minutes just to protect their supply. Some moms planned to only nurse and switched to pumping not by choice. Some moms overcome low milk supply, while some make just enough and some combo feed with however much breastmilk they can make, because all are powerful!
This is not for comparison, but to honor the invisible, exhausting, beautiful effort that goes into breastfeeding.. whether you did it for a day, a month, or several years.
That’s what this week is about:
Raising awareness. Offering support. Celebrating the mothers who gave so much of themselves.
If that is you - YOU have done incredible things for your baby and yourself, offering incredible benefits to last a lifetime💛
HOW TO CELEBRATE??
Make a Breastmilk Keepsake: Turn your liquid gold into a lasting memory! Order or DIY a keepsake like breastmilk jewelry, soap, or lotion. It’s a beautiful way to honor the time, energy, and love you’ve poured into your feeding journey.
Share Your Story: heartfelt post, funny reel, or blog entry: use your voice. Share your breastfeeding journey on social media. Be real. Be raw. You never know who you might inspire or encourage by opening up.
Support Another Mom: Offer your help and invaluable advice! Drop off a snack box, send a supportive message, or share your favorite breastfeeding tips and products. Sometimes, one kind word can make a huge difference.
Donate Breastmilk or Supplies: If you have extra milk, consider donating to a milk bank or another mom in need. Not a milk donor? You can still help by donating unused breast pump parts, nipple creams, or lactation teas to moms or shelters.
Host a “Milk Mama Meetup”: Connection is key! Meet with local mamas in a breastfeeding or pumping support group for a casual coffee date, park picnic, or virtual Zoom chat. Share your journeys, laugh about the leaks, and connect over the ups and downs of breastfeeding.
Simple Celebration of Yourself! Reminisce on your journey so far, write a journey entry for yourself to look back on and read later. Take a picture of your journey for yourself. Grab a special treat to celebrate everything you have done so far!
Breastmilk Lotion Recipe & Video
Do NOT waste that precious 🌟liquid gold 🌟
Did you know that breastmilk is amazing not only for baby’s food but for baby’s skin as well? This can be made with fresh or frozen milk, even that milk that is getting a little “too old” to feed to your baby or toddler.
This breastmilk lotion is easy to make (only took me 10 minutes and one container), contains minimal ingredients, and can be long lasting with proper storage!
Here’s what I used in my lotion:
🍼 4 oz breastmilk
🐝 1 TBS beeswax
💧4 drops vitamin E oil
🥥 4 oz coconut oil or grape seed oil
🪻Essential oils (optional - I omitted due to sensitive skin)
FULL Video and recipe below: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM8HVJ0uAp_/
Amazon Lotion Items: https://amzn.to/45ynR1H
FULL recipe and ingredient replacement options for homemade breastmilk lotion.
* ALWAYS check with your own doctor for any questions, advice or before starting any new lotion or remedy for your child.
Get More Sleep AND Increase Milk Supply?? 👀
Yes, it IS possible!!
WHY: because for milk supply: milk removal, sleep, stress, and hormone balance are all important! With the schedules shown here, you can still pump an adequate number of times per day while front loading most of your pump sessions for during daylight hours and minimizing MOTN (middle of the night) pump sessions 👏👏
For example, with a newborn, you are pumping about eight times a day to mimic their feeding schedule, but two power pump sessions will help replace middle of the night pumping well also providing enough stimulation to you increase milk supply.
The key is spacing your pumps in a way that allows your body to still respond well to stimulation and emptying. That usually means keeping your total number of sessions still about 8 in 24 hours (and less after 3 months postpartum), with slightly longer gaps at night (like 5–6 hours instead of 3–4). I found that that shifting one session from overnight to earlier in the morning, or doing a "power pump" during the day, helps compensate. You’re essentially giving your body a break at night and making up for it with effective daytime sessions.
Sleep More Schedules also reduce stress.. another major factor in milk production. Less exhaustion means more consistent output, better letdowns, and a stronger mindset. Every body is different, so it may take a week or two of trial and error to find your perfect schedule and routine. But don’t be afraid to protect your sleep. Prioritizing rest isn’t just good for your mental health, it may actually improve your pumping journey.
When I first started pumping for my first baby at 5 weeks postpartum, I was pumping every 2-3 hours overnight because I had to feed in those time intervals as well, but after 8 weeks, even though my milk supply was still low, I was able to decrease night feeds, increase day pumping and still majorly increase milk supply!
Here are the schedules that worked for me…
IF you want the FULL PDF right to you, Follow me on my Instagram and comment “schedule” on this post here:
My Story: “Breastfeeding will be easy RIGHT?”
During pregnancy, I knew I wanted to breastfeed and planned on exclusive nursing my baby. While I did have some concerns and fears around breastfeeding, I thought it should come naturally.
When I left the hospital with my baby, I brought home a beautiful 8 lb healthy baby and starting nursing him at home. However, latch was painful those first few days. I was told at the by my doctors and nurses that this was normal and would sort itself out shortly. I continued to nurse through the pain, but knew something was off. I started to see lactation consultants and doctors regularly to help with our latch issue. It was determined his latch looked “OK” and he had no lip or tongue ties. However, at 5 weeks old he was barley back up to birth weight, and his pediatrician said we needed to start formula supplementing right away.
From under 10 oz to > 50 oz a Day: My Pumping Journey
It was at this time that I decided to try pumping. At 5 weeks postpartum, when I first started pumping, I nearly lost my supply completely, producing just a few drops at each session. But I refused to give up.
Through trial and error, I discovered pumping hacks, upgraded my pump, and found the tips that worked best for me. Slowly, my supply increased: first to 5 oz, then 20 oz, and finally over 50 oz a day with ups and downs over the time period of 2 months. I ended up exclusive pumping with enough to bottle feed my baby and thousands of oz to donate to my local mother’s milk bank.
Now, I’m passionate about helping moms like you navigate the challenges of pumping with confidence. Whether you’re exclusively pumping or nursing and pumping, this guide is here to empower you every step of the way.
Personally → I changed my flange size, got a new pump that worked better for me (BabyBuddha), added massage while pumping, kept to a strict 2-3 hour pump schedule, power pumped, ate better (and more), and took my prenatal vitamins. I added comfort while pumping: coconut oil in the flange tunnels (or get a pumping spray) and used pump cushions are some of the changes that I made.
